


Silver Woven Dream

by iammyfavflower



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Chris and Viktor's friendship is my life, I apologise in advance for this mess, M/M, Spirit Viktor, Spirit Yuri, Texting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-01-05 16:42:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12193746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iammyfavflower/pseuds/iammyfavflower
Summary: It was that the reality that wasn't was constantly on the cusp of Yuuri's reality. Waiting to spill over, in flashes of silver and gold.Or the one where spirit Viktor visits Yuuri in his dreams and accidentally tangles him up in the best, and worst way possible.





	1. symphony like a heartbeat

**Author's Note:**

> Wow I suck at summaries, I suck at life, everything is on fire.  
> This is my first posted fic so enjoy, I hope you like it.

Yuuri's dreams sometimes felt more real than his life. Swirling of sound and motion that he found hard to pick apart at best but more real than the mundane life he found himself living. The flowers that rained from the sky amidst the snow onto a sea of piano music and the violin that tore through his paper cranes with invisible teeth were what Yuuri thought of when his teacher asked what he thought home was. He could never answer their simple questions with a simple answer, not the where his heart was concerned. But his brain would make his mouth stutter out an unfeeling answer of family.

It wasn't that he didn't love his family, it was that the reality that wasn't was constantly on the cusp of his reality. Waiting to spill over, in flashes of silver and gold. 

~

When he was younger, Yuuri didn't dream. His parents would ask if he had good dreams, would wonder why he didn't have the nightmares that every other kid had. But Yuuri didn't dream. Sleep would take him, and let him go in the morning unharmed. Yuuri didn't particularly want to dream anyway, not after he saw his sister shaking and crying out in the middle of the night, screaming at invisible monsters.

Eventually, even though he tried to fend them off, dreams sunk their claws into him. Yuuri was eight, and he had his first dream. He was standing at the edge of a forest; it was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was straight along in either direction, not a single blade of grass was out of place. The trees had bark spun with gold and leaves that shone silver. Flowers of a million colours sprouted from a forest grown in fantasy. 

Yuuri, only eight years old, stood in a field of faded yellow wheat, staring at the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He was short and chubby, and not even wearing any shoes. His glasses hung haphazardly over his nose, and his mouth hung open. The wind danced around him and he could see it, he could see a soft song and so many things that he could never say with words. 

But most of all, he saw silver hair, twisting in the wind and through his jet black hair. He heard a strand slither through his skin and weave its way into his heart. It whispered in his ear with a sweet voice, drawing him into the forest. 

He passed through the perfect wall of wilderness, a shiver running through his spine. Sound and colour and feeling exploding in a way he didn't know was possible. The same silver hair that had wound its way through his heart flitted through the trees before him. He followed immediately and didn't even think to look back.

It was as the sun sat lazily on the horizon that Yuuri woke. His senses left him one by one. First the feel of the forest exited his senses, the colour faded to black and white until the beauty of the forest slipped away seemingly all at once. As he opened his eyes a song in an unknown but enchanting language dissolved from a roar to a whisper. 

Slowly, but all at once Yuuri was dropped from the most magical place he had ever experienced into a bed that was a bit too small for him, in the middle of an onsen that was losing business. Slowly, but all at once the tears fell from his eyes.

~

The dreams didn't happen every night, not at first anyway. They would steal him away for a night every few weeks. His heart would break each time he woke up, wanting desperately to return to his dreams. He never did when he went back to sleep.

When Yuuri was nine, the dreams became a weekly occurrence. The days were inconsistent, but they always spirited him away once before the seven days were up. They were always different too. But Yuuri knew that they took place in that forest.  
He knew, even though there were rarely trees, and if there was, they didn't particularly look like they first did. There were never the same aspects; sometimes there was something similar, but never the same. But there was always that wind. That silver tinged, soft singing wind. And Yuuri knew.

When Yuuri was eleven, the dreams started happening nightly. They had taken up most of his thoughts, like a disease that had slowly wormed its way into his mind. Strands of silver that tied him up and whispered delicious toxic thoughts into his heart. But Yuuri didn't really listen, still a child that wanted to explore the world. A shy child, but a child nonetheless. One that found the best adventures in the dead of night.

At thirteen Yuuri was fully submerged in the dreams, and his life was starting to sink with him. He couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus on anything and retreated into himself more than ever. His room was filled with sketches that made sense to no one but him. His family sat on the side, watching their son fall deeper and deeper into a hole that they couldn't see. 

He was doing lazy laps on an ice rink when he told someone. His parents had urged him to take up a hobby, anything to keep his mind off of whatever was so obviously eating him away. Ice skating had intrigued him, and he found it easy after spending his early childhood doing ballet. He found a friend in Nishigori Yuuko, a small girl who loved the sport with her whole heart. They spent hours together, finding something in one another that was lost off the ice. Yuuri couldn't explain it other than that she got him. 

Yuuko was watching Yuuri then, he saw her when he opened his eyes and left dazzling jewels scattered across high violin notes. She had her head resting in her hand, watching him with an unreadable expression. Yuuri stopped to look at her, a question in his face.

"What happened to you Yuuri?" She asked softly, like if she spoke any louder, she would scare him off. "Something changed."

Yuuri paused for a few seconds, thinking about how he could possibly explain the things he saw each night. 

"Do you dream?" He asked instead. If Yuuko was disappointed with the subject change she didn't show it, only regarded him with a curious look. 

"Every now and again yes. Normally about skating though, gliding on the ice like I'm princess mostly. What about you? Do you dream?" There was a curiosity to Yuuko's voice Yuuri couldn't deny. 

"Yes," he breathed out the word like he was saying something he shouldn't be. He skated slowly towards her. "Every night. I go somewhere, I go to a forest except it's wonderful Yuuko. It has so much colour and sound and, and I want to be there. All the time. There's a voice, it's silver, and I hear it every night so I know, I just know, it's the same place. When I skate, I'm there. I'm in this wondrous place and the voice, it's singing to me just like it always does, in Russian I think, and I love it Yuuko."

While he spoke, Yuuri had taken Yuuko's hands in his own. She was staring at him with a sadness no thirteen-year-old should ever feel. Yuuri thought he felt a tear slip down his cheek.

"Yuuri…" She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in close as he cried.

"I want; I want to be there. I want to be there with him. I belong there, not here. I'm not crazy I promise. I'm not, I need to," He broke down into sobs on his best friend's shoulder. She rubbed soothing circles into his back as he cried and cried, soaking her jacket. 

She didn't care. All she wanted was for Yuuri to stop crying. Yuuko knew, deep down, that for that to happen, he needed to find whatever it was that had stolen his dreams.

~

The sun was just peeking above the ocean midway through Yuuri's seventeenth year when a lilting song woke him. He had his eyes closed still, not wanting the dream to end. There was something different this time though, the sweet silver song that continually haunted him hadn't yet ceased. It fell upon his ears in hushed tones that sounded more real than the waves that were crashing on the beach outside. It was enchanting, utterly beautiful.

Yuuri savoured the moment, trying to feign sleep so that the song might continue for just a bit longer. His plan was foiled when a hand touched his face, and all serenity left his body.

His eyes flew open as he tumbled backwards, forcefully hitting his head against the bedhead. He let out a frightened yelp but found it muffled as there was a hand covering his mouth. The same hand that had touched his chin ever so lightly and yanked him out of the blissful state he was in.

Yuuri's eyes finally focused in the early morning light to see a beautiful man crouching on his bed. The stranger wore a stunning silk garment, bordering on what could be a gown. It was white with intricate red flowers spun into the clothing. It was draped over his body in a multitude of layers, making it hard to find where it ended and he began. A crown made of flowers similar to those on his clothes, but in a blue of finer colour than Yuuri had ever seen, rested on his head lopsided. Silver hair flowed from his head to rest scattered over the sheets, like a river of mercury. A few strands fell in front of his face, hiding some of the blue eyes that seemed to be staring into Yuuri's soul. 

His whole figure looked otherworldly, like a God had been dropped down into a small unsuspecting Japanese town. The world seemed to go quiet; bird’s stopping wistful songs to allow a single moment of silence. A bubble that encased Yuuri and what he could only describe as a spirit, and whisked them away from the world.

The man tilted his head slightly, reminding Yuuri of a confused puppy, and the strands of hair fell gracefully out of his face. It took a moment, but Yuuri realised it was the same silver that plagued him by day and brought him to life at night. The silver that asphyxiated his brain and sung to his heart. The silver that crouched on his bed in the form of the most beautiful man Yuuri had ever seen. 

The panic slowly drained out of Yuuri, though he remained cautious. He kept his eyes on the man, who looked only a touch older than himself, as he slowly reached up to grasp the hand over his mouth. A piercing blue gaze followed him the whole time. 

The figure moved his hand away from Yuuri's mouth and brought it up to his own face, inspecting it quickly before looking up at Yuuri again. His mouth was drawn into a tight line, confusion coming off of him in waves. Yuuri moved back slightly, trying to put a bit more distance between himself and the man that had appeared in his bed. Blue eyes darted over Yuuri's body before a laugh escaped their owner's lips. It was soft and brought a red tinge to Yuuri's cheeks. The laugh only lasted a second, more a giggle than anything really, but Yuuri felt as if it could sum up all of the dreams he had ever experienced. One single melodious sound that made Yuuri's heart sing.

"It's okay; there's no need to be scared." The stranger's voice, one that could be matched perfectly to a particular silver song Yuuri knew well, broke him out of his trance. He spoke in accented English, something Yuuri thought strange. It was at that moment he silently thanked any gods that might exist for his torturous compulsory English lessons. The voice sounded as sweet as it ever had, though slightly deeper than he had ever remembered it. Its owner was staring at him intently, making Yuuri uncomfortable under his gaze.

"I won't hurt you, I promise you that. But it seems that I've tangled you up a bit." As the man spoke he shuffled closer, and soon Yuuri found his legs bathed in silk like silver.

All Yuuri could do was stare as the man that kneeled over his outstretched legs took Yuuri's chin in his hand, sending an explosion of colour through the dark room. A burst of piano and violin and soft Russian rung in his ears. And then, it stopped.

"Yuuri..." The man whispered. His name sounded strange on the other’s lips like it shouldn't be there. His accent wrapped around it pleasantly, and Yuuri decided he liked the way it sounded. The man’s lips started moving, an unformed word hanging in the between them like honey before a bark swallowed up the silence, startling them both.

The man jumped off of Yuuri, whispering to himself rapidly in another language before sticking half of his body out of the open window. He turned back to Yuuri, who was still frozen at the end of his bed, and mock saluted before jumping out the window.

Yuuri jumped up and scrambled to look out the window. The man was dancing around a large fluffy dog, possibly the size of Yuuri himself, at the foot of the onsen, his hair and clothes flowing gracefully in the wind. Yuuri breathed out a sigh of relief, although he knew the mystical man that had appeared in his room wouldn't be hurt by such a mundane thing.

He stuck his head out of the window again, prepared just to watch the man leave when he found an unfamiliar name on his lips. Something that couldn't possibly be there but had slithered into his mouth anyway.

"Viktor!" Yuuri called out, and Viktor turned around, a smile dancing across his face. He waved, a grand sweeping gesture, before disappearing into the early morning. 

Yuuri sunk into his bed, staring at the ceiling with unseeing eyes. Instead the man, Viktor, floated across his vision in flashes of silver and red. Yuuri moved his lips soundlessly to a song he didn't know the words to but felt he knew off by heart. He could still see Viktor, crouching on his bed in silk more expensive than Yuuri had ever seen, laughing before a smile stretched across his face, dancing in the wind like he belonged.


	2. your song on my lips (your hand on my hips)

The wind seemed more alive than ever. Within a few days it became a constant, even though it was rarely there. Outside Yuuri could feel it pushing him towards some things and away from others; it guided him when he was lost in thought, as he so often was. Inside it was like a breath against his skin, undeniably present at every moment. It danced around Yuuri, an invisible partner in an invisible waltz. 

The dreams hadn’t backed off, but they were more manageable. They conformed to the shape of his life, staying in the confines of his free time. Sometimes daydreams spilt out in golden flowers and orchestrated symphonies onto monochrome exam papers. Blue inked tigers swam through bowls of noodles, tearing apart pork and stags alike. The songs on the radio slowly morphed into a deep, honey-like voice. Sometimes out of the corner of his eye Yuuri would see Viktor. Sitting at a bus stop, walking past his classroom, eating in a crowded shopping centre. But every time Yuuri looked over, almost snapping his neck each time, there would be nothing there. A strong wind would blow, and Yuuri would move on. Each time he would lose a little piece of hope that Viktor would ever come back.

~

Yuuri had just managed to scrape through his classes and graduate. It had been just over a year since Viktor had appeared and disappeared from his life in under the span of an hour and Yuuri was beginning to believe it wasn't real, that Viktor was something created by his mind in its peak of madness. He already had anxiety, and it wasn't like it was unlikely for another mental illness to plague his life. It would explain the dreams slipping into reality anyway, hallucinations manifested from a chemical procedure gone wrong. Viktor was just a hopeful fantasy, something to blame his deteriorating mental health on. What better way to stay sane then dumping all his problems on a fictitious man of his dreams?

He almost got hit by a car, as he was once again so caught up in his head. Yuuri decided he needed to get out of his hometown, his family had tried to offer him a small sum of money, but he refused. He had been working part-time at the ice rink for a few years, helping out wherever he could and saving some money for when he was finally faced with the terrifying prospect of starting a life. He had earned enough to fly him across the world to Detroit for a few days. It was far enough away that Yuuri thought he wouldn't be haunted by Viktor, by his dreams or anything of the sort but he was once again wrong. He had almost been hit by a car because of the very things he was trying to escape. 

He quickly hurried through the bustling crowds fumbling for his phone. It was nearing evening, the prime time for human activity which was a bit of hassle. Lights flickered on and illuminated the street as the natural light deteriorated. Yuuri ignored the people in favour of squinting at his phone. A small map displaying the area lit up on the screen. Yuuri followed a set of instructions to the outskirts of the city, where shops and houses clustered together like a mismatched puzzle. 

Yuuri’s phone dinged, causing him to look down and then back up again. He stood in front of an old brick building. It was crumbling slightly on the corners and vines sprouted from a garden around the entrance, curling around and latching onto the building. A faded sign above the glass doors showed a picture of a snowman and a little girl in ice-skates with the words “Detroit Ice Rink” in bold white letters, a soft contrast against the blue of the sign. It looked like time had taken hold of the building, ageing it a great deal more than other buildings in the area.

Cautiously Yuuri walked towards the rink, eyes taking in the ragged appearance with sadness. Although skating wasn't Yuuri’s top priority, it was a way for Yuuri to take his mind off of things and relax, and seeing the rink in such a poor way made his heart sink a little. As Yuuri pushed open the doors a bell rang, and his traitorous heart tried to escape to sweet bells in luxurious forests, but Yuuri reigned it in. Looping a leash around his heart for his mind to take hold of and secure. He could feel himself struggle, wanting to leave the gloomy life he lived in, as he did so often. It was a never-ending fight that he knew only death could stop. Both sides were unrelenting in life though; a war waged in his body where his rationality was steadily losing its advantage. Reality was on the constant cusp of breaking down for Yuuri, and he knew it reigned only by holding on with everything it had. There was only one time, one place where he allowed himself to escape into the blissful alternative; on the ice.

That was why he was there, at a broken down ice rink in a foreign city. He was supposed to be sightseeing, watching events and eating good food. But the only thing he could comprehend was Viktor, Viktor, Viktor. The chanting of his heart creating a rhythm to a two-part dance; one with a sweet Russian melody and a silver man. Two things that possibly didn't even exist. Yuuri had scoured the internet for years trying to find the silver song at least, but nothing came up. Nothing matched and the puzzle pieces Yuuri was trying to find were lost in a place he didn't even know existed. It was a torture worse than physical pain because somewhere along the way, he had lost pieces of himself as well. Pieces that Yuuri knew he could never get back on his own. 

A woman with greying hair poked her head out of a room off the corridor. Little fairy lights that hung from the roof illuminated her smile. Wrinkles that were forming on her forehead, likely a product of old age, were smoothed out by her smile. She stepped out fully and walked towards Yuuri. A gentle joy radiated from her every step. She clasped Yuuri on the shoulder, having to reach up slightly and urged him further into the building. 

They walked together down the hall until she ducked into an alcove where a counter was. She shuffled a few papers around as Yuuri shuffled his feet.

“We were just about to close dear, but we can keep open for a touch longer if you want? You look like you need a good skate anyway.” The woman said in a warm voice, eyes squeezing shut as she smiled up at him.

“Uh, yes please. Thank you.” Yuuri stumbled over his English as he reached into his jacket to pull out his wallet. The woman looked at him as if he was her grandchild, not a foreigner keeping her from closing. She took the money gratefully and put it into a worn blue box, covered in little stickers of figure skaters.

She led the way to a small room filled with another counter and racks of skates. She stopped and turned to him, looking him up and down with a smile that held the sun.

“You probably don't need my help anymore do you, dear?” She asked, but Yuuri could tell she already knew the answer. “You can find some skates in there, and you can stay as long as you like, well, within reason. If you need me, I’ll be out the front. Just tell me before you leave so I can let you out.” The woman continued.

“Are you sure? I mean it must be a trouble for you, and I don’t want to keep you waiting an-“

“Don’t worry dear; it would be my pleasure.” She cut Yuuri off and smiled at him before walking away, leaving him alone with racks of unfamiliar skates.

Yuuri yelled out a quick thank you before manoeuvring through the few rows of skates. He easily found his size and made his way out to the rink. It was around the same size as his home rink, if not a touch smaller. More of the fairy lights that were in the hallway lit up the ice, making it sparkle and shine in a way the industrial lights couldn't. Benches were lining the ice, which was where Yuuri decided to sit and put on his skates. They were unfamiliar, but they would do.

The whole picture of the rink together, fairy lights, worn ice, and the dark sky outside his bubble of reality made him remember one of the many dreams he had. It was cold, he pulled his jacket closer and made his way onto the ice. It was so familiar it made him want to smile. He didn't. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused on the feel of the ice under his feet.

Yuuri spun out slowly, soft notes of piano ringing in his ears. He remembered walking through a forest, out onto a clearing where giant fish swam through the air as if it were water. He remembered a lake that was frozen over even though no snow fell from a purple sky. He remembered a million stars casting light over the ice and causing it to shimmer, making the fish glow exquisite oranges and reds. He remembered a pair of hands taking his own and leading him to dance. 

As he skated backwards, Yuuri extended an arm, reaching towards Viktor. He remembered how Viktor had come in the dream, silver hair dancing around him as he glided towards Yuuri. Viktor slipped over the ice as if he was wearing skates, he spun around Yuuri and reached just shy of touching him. Yuuri mirrored Viktor, matching every move he made the second it happened. Yuuri ducked out of the way of a fish, turning his hasty movement into a quick spin before gliding away from Viktor. A sly smile crept onto Viktor's face, and violin exploded in Yuuri's ears. Viktor chased after Yuuri, the grin still firmly in place and Yuuri did a quick step sequence he had learnt from Yuuko to avoid him. 

It worked until Viktor started singing. Yuuri froze. He vaguely remembered that it wasn't real, that he was alone on the ice and his mind was playing tricks on him. Somewhere between playful symphonies and step sequences, the majority of his mind had slipped into a dream that was too good to be true, one that he never wanted to leave. So he ignored the part of his mind that was screaming at him to stop before he was torn to pieces and let Viktor take his hand. Long ago, he had chosen exams and family as his reality, but then, at that moment Yuuri wanted Viktor to be his reality.

So Yuuri let Viktor spin him slowly across frozen lakes. He let Viktor sing softly in his ear until he couldn't hear his heart breaking anymore. He let Viktor pull him close until he was surrounded by a sharp fluorescent scent. He let Viktor push him out and bring him in, an ocean never able to stay away from the shore for too long. He let himself smile up at Viktor as they skated to an invisible waltz, invisible no more. Viktor smiled back through his song, blue eyes crinkling and hair dancing around him until all Yuuri could see was silver. Silver of a thousand shades that could paint the world prettier than it already was. 

Violins played through honey, slower and slower until they faded from existence. Piano keys tumbled from the sky, scaring fish back into the trees. Yuuri twisted and Viktor spun, Russian words cutting invisible ties like a knife. Viktor stopped spinning, and he stopped singing. He pulled Yuuri close to him, clasping Yuuri's hands in his own. Viktor led him slowly across the ice, spinning him slower and slower until he stopped, the piano a faint whisper in the background. Viktor bent down, his hair cascading over him and hiding his face. He slowly stood, a pained smile on his face. He looked into Yuuri's eyes before glancing down at his hands.

Yuuri followed his gaze to see Viktor holding his palms together with great care. He slowly reached out and placed something in Yuuri's hands. Yuuri saw it was multiple small pieces of what appeared to be blood red glass. They stuck into his hands painfully and made his chest ache. He looked up at Viktor, silently asking what he had just given him. Viktor only grimaced slightly and pushed the shards softly to Yuuri's chest.

"I appear, to have broken something, very important of yours," Viktor whispered. His voice making the glass shards crack slightly in Yuuri's hands. Viktor pushed Yuuri's hands even firmer to his chest before slowly skating into the darkness, leaving Yuuri alone.

Yuuri's senses came back to him. He could feel a blister starting to form from the unfamiliar skates. He opened his eyes cautiously, stars turned to fairy lights, frozen lakes dissolved to an ice rink. The fragments in his hands pushed into his chest. Soft piano music turned to clapping.

Yuuri startled and spun around to find someone clapping excitedly on the sidelines. They were bathed in shadows, dark brown coat just showing up from the faint light. Silver fell around them like a cloak. Yuuri's vision was blurry and he couldn't tell who the mysterious figure was.

"Yuuri! That was so beautiful! Where did you learn something like that?" A familiar deep voice rung out in the silence, and Yuuri quickly skated forward, his body moving on its own.

The gears in his brain were completely frozen, trying to process who was in the room. He slipped and scrambled on the ice trying to get back up. A gloved hand reached out, and Yuuri grasped it firmly pulling himself up. He was met with Viktor's face only a few inches from his. He looked like a child who had just seen his idol for the first time. His mouth formed a sort of heart shape, and his eyes were wide as he babbled on about Yuuri's skating. Yuuri wasn't taking in words though. All he could comprehend was that Viktor was in front of him, that he was real because Yuuri would never have imagined him waving his hands around like he was at that moment. Viktor was real, and it made Yuuri want to cry, want to smile, want to scream. Yuuri's hair was pushed back out of his face, his glasses were sitting on a bench somewhere and he could barely see a few meters in front of him but none of it mattered because Viktor, the real Viktor was standing in front of him. 

Yuuri stopped even trying to think and just watched the man in front of him. Viktor's face had transformed from soft curves to sharp, handsome lines, his hair was stunning and seemed to float around his body. Everything about him seemed otherworldly, especially his eyes. They were such a piercing blue it made Yuuri want to look away. They swirled unnaturally, and if Yuuri looked for long enough, he thought he would be able to see clouds float through them. 

Yuuri stopped staring when he realised that Viktor had stopped talking and was staring back at him. Heat rushed through his cheeks, and he looked away quickly embarrassed. He squirmed under Viktor's gaze and forced his mouth to work, to say anything at all.

"Sorry I just, it's been so long, an-and I thought that I would never see you again and I thought that maybe..." Yuuri sputtered and trailed off into incomprehensible mumbles. Viktor looked confused and continued to stare in silence. "I thought that maybe you weren't even real to begin with." Yuuri finished quietly. He looked down at the ice, not wanting to see Viktor's judgement but he could still feel Viktor's eyes on him. Sadness washed over Viktor in waves, almost drowning Yuuri in the process.

"Yuuri, I'm sorry. I didn't realise it had been so long in human time and Yakov told me I had to stay with him," Viktor said, sounding almost heartbroken. Yuuri looked up to see anger flash in his eyes, steely and cold and frightening. "I shouldn't have listened to him, I never did in the past so why the hell did I listen to him then." 

Viktor grabbed Yuuri's face in his hands. The action was sudden, and Yuuri let out a small yelp. Viktor's grip was gentle though as if he was afraid he would break Yuuri. Yuuri looked into his eyes and saw a million galaxies in that blue. Long strands of silver hair tousled in a wind that wasn't there. Viktor looked at him and Yuuri felt magic flowing through Viktors veins, causing small sparks to dance across his fingertips and onto Yuuri's face. Viktor pressed his forehead to Yuuri's, his eyes closing. Yuuri just stared.

"I can't stay here for long, I'm not strong enough," Viktor spoke, his breath ghosting across Yuuri's face. "But I will be back. Don't you ever doubt that. It may take a month, maybe a year, maybe longer but I will find you Yuuri." Viktor pulled away, eyes shining with determination. 

"I have hurt you too much, to just abandon you again." This time when Viktor spoke it was soft and delicate, almost broken. He slowly pulled his hands from Yuuri's face and brought them to his sides. He started walking away, going blurry in Yuuri's poor vision. 

Viktor stopped for a second, and Yuuri thought he might look back, might say something. He didn't. He started walking again, and a ferocious wind blew around him, turning silver as it mixed in with his hair. It blew fiercely and spun fast until it had consumed Viktor entirely and all that was left was a silver sheen.

Yuuri stood at the edge of an ice rink in Detroit. His feet were sore, his vision was blurry, and he was staring at the spot where the wind had eaten up an otherworldly being. Yuuri stood there, holding onto faded railings, all words washed out of his head and he smiled. He smiled because the two realities that were waging wars in his body were starting to come together. Knights took up arms together, lions prowled around the camp, no longer sneaking into tents to tear apart the enemy. And kings, they sat side by side, neither thrown higher than the other, battling the world and not each other.

~

Yuuri stayed at the edge of the rink for a while afterwards. He replayed every moment until it was burned into his mind's eye. He quietly took off his skates and contemplated how long Viktor had been watching him skate. Yuuko had told him that when he was skating he was filled with emotion, so maybe Viktor had been able to pick up on what Yuuri was feeling? Yuuri doubted it though, as Viktor seemed so happy and oblivious until Yuuri had started talking. Yuuri moved automatically, putting his skates back and heading down the hallway, brain working momentarily. He stopped to thank the old woman and tell her he was heading out. He tried to offer her some money for keeping her out so late, but she refused and practically pushed him out the door.

He was deep in thought as he walked down the street, not paying attention to where he was going. Yuuri was dazed, and all he could think about was how he had seen Viktor (Viktor!) and what he was talking about. He was so consumed by his own ravenous thoughts that he didn't realise when he walked straight into something. 

Yuuri quickly realised that the something was, in fact, a someone and immediately started yelling apologies as fast as he could. 

"Oh no, it's alright. It was my fault as well; I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings." The stranger said as he lifted his hand to his neck and a small smile crept onto his face. His English was accented, but Yuuri couldn't tell what language had latched onto the words.

He was dark skinned and dark haired, his face still youthful, suggesting he was a teenager. He was relatively shorter than Yuuri and had a black face mask pulled down around his neck. He was wearing a black jacket with a pair of earphones hanging out of one pocket. A loud pinging noise, almost like an alarm clock, was coming from a phone which was grasped firmly in the boy's hand.

"Uh, sorry again, I'll, um, be going now." Yuuri stuttered out awkwardly. He turned to walk away, and the stranger waved. The peace was shattered into a million pieces as the boy's phone started shrieking. Yuuri looked back at the boy, who was looking down at his phone and back at Yuuri again repeatedly, confusion clear in his expression. A comical look passed over his face as he took one final look at his phone. Yuuri could practically see the gears clicking into place.

"Wait!" He called out, even though Yuuri was frozen to the spot. Two strange encounters in one day, even though the first was extremely more strange and mystical than this one, was just his luck. Yuuri just wanted to retreat to his hotel room and relive the experience as many times as he could before his dreams whisked him away again. The universe, however, would rather plant a strange boy with a beeping phone and some sort of mysterious motivation in his way.

"Yes?" Yuuri replied, half exhausted, half nervous and 100% done with life.

"You aren't a spirit are you?" The boy asked, entirely serious. Yuuri stalled, before choking on air. Yuuri lurched over, trying to stop coughing in front of this random kid who for some reason thought he was a spirit. When he recovered, he saw the boy was hovering nervously just out of reach. He jumped back when Yuuri got up.

"Well, are you?" The boy asked, excitement leaking into his tone.

"What? No, why would I be a spirit I ju–"

"Oh, that's disappointing." The kid cut Yuuri off and visibly drooped. "My readings were going crazy, and they weren't wrong when I saw a spirit before."

Yuuri thought for a moment, even though this guy was a kid he seemed to know what he was talking about and he wasn't making a joke about it at all. Viktor's words from before forced their way into Yuuri's mind. I didn't realise it had been so long in human time. That had to mean something right? And Viktor had just disappeared before Yuuri's eyes. Perhaps he could tell this stranger about Viktor, and maybe, there was the slightest chance he could help.

"Um... actually," the boy perked up as Yuuri spoke. "I may have just encountered one." 

"Really!" The boy yelled, he forcefully turned off his phone and shoved it in his pocket, silencing the harsh beeping at once. He scrambled towards Yuuri excitedly. "My name's Phichit Chulanont, and I want to find another spirit." Phichit declared and seemed to be bouncing slightly where he was standing.

"Katsuki Yuuri and I think I found one that promised to come back." Yuuri was flooded with embarrassment and hid behind his hair. Phichit smiled at him, a smile that was brighter than the sun.

"Tell me all about it Yuuri. I wanna know every last detail." Phichit grabbed Yuuri's arm and started pulling him down the street. Yuuri complied and followed Phichit, even though alarms were going off in his head. Phichit looked back over his shoulder and smiled. It wasn't a smile that was filled with innocence or evil. It was a smile that was filled with a concoction of emotions, being mixed up even more by Yuuri's unexpected appearance. 

Yuuri saw curiosity, mischievousness and joy mixed in with so much more. But there was something that stuck out to Yuuri, a clear path to Viktor. Viktor had appeared in front of him unexpectedly twice, and the next time, Yuuri wanted to be prepared. Yuuri had been trying to stop his realities from mixing for years, he had sought to pound one out of existence at every chance he got. But Viktor had appeared when Yuuri wasn't restricted by drowsiness and the intense want of his dreams, and he could tell for sure that Viktor was real. 

Viktor was real, and he was coming back eventually. And Yuuri would be ready for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enter Phichit Chulanont, Spirit Expert™!  
> I love my son Phichit and I don't want him to be ooc, I'm extremely sorry if any of the characters are ooc. This whole chapter feels like some dramatic anime (well look at what it's based off of) but I'd like to blame that on Viktor. I feel like all of Yakov's skaters are extremely dramatic, including Viktor.
> 
> [Here](https://iammyfavflower.tumblr.com) is my Tumblr if you want to ask any questions or just check it out.
> 
> See you next chapter hopefully


	3. is it you or a dreamlike fantasy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't like this chapter I'm sorry in advance

Phichit shakily drew two large circles next to each other on a napkin. He had led Yuuri to a little café down the road from the ice rink. Cushioned seats rested snuggly against the wall, old wooden tables and chairs were scattered through the shop. The counter had all sorts of small succulents and above it was a large chalkboard listing the items on sale. There were cute little hamsters drawn in the corners. Yuuri currently sat across from Phichit nursing a hot chocolate. As soon as Yuuri had stepped inside, he had wanted to melt. Warmth seeped right through him, and the smell had entranced him. 

Phichit had taken a pen from a small cup on the counter and immediately started drawing. He finished the picture by connecting the two circles together with a line. He looked up and smiled at Yuuri, who had been watching him intently the whole time.

"This here," Phichit started, pointing to one of the circles with the pen "is our world. It's where we live and all that." He pointed to the other circle and continued. "And this is the spirit world. It's quite similar to Earth, being in that it's round, has defined continents and is inhabited by living beings. Everything else is basically different. To my understanding, the beings that live there are extremely powerful and intelligent. They are able to... how can I put it, interact with their environment. Listen, it's super hard to explain, but people think they have at least human intelligence and can semi-control basic parts of their environment, like water and trees and stuff. No one really knows that much, cause they're spirits obviously, but some people have tried to conduct studies. The problem is that the two worlds are just too detached from one another."

Phichit paused for a second, looking up at Yuuri to see if he understood everything. Yuuri was slightly confused by the whole idea of an entire other world existing on the brink of their own, but he understood what Phichit was saying and nodded. Phichit tapped his pen on the thin line.

"Here is where this comes in. There's a bridge that connects the two worlds together, well I think there's multiple actually. Some places in the world have a higher spiritual concentration, like Japan and China. Only spirits have been able to find this bridge and successfully cross it. And only powerful ones have been able to stay for very long." Phichit concluded, dropping the pen down on the table.

"Yeah, Viktor said something about not being strong enough to stay," Yuuri added. He felt a breath of hot wind against his neck and shivered before he could stop himself.

"Tell me about Viktor Yuuri! Tell me!" Phichit practically jumped out of his chair in excitement.

So Yuuri told Phichit about Viktor, about how he had appeared twice out of nowhere and left in a hurry. He told Phichit about how Viktor's words stuck in his ears, and Viktor's touches burned his skin. How he seemed entangled in the wind and caged in by an incessant desire to be near Viktor when he wasn't around. The way he had been tangled up in silver ever since that first dream. Phichit nodded along the whole time, occasionally asking questions. Yuuri started to explain the song, warm and silver and whispering in his ears as the night grew old. Recognition grew on Phichit's face as the words tumbled out of Yuuri.

Phichit pulled out his phone and pressed a few buttons before handing it over to Yuuri with a pair of headphones Yuuri connected them and pushed play on a video that had a black screen. Yuuri looked up at his dark-skinned companion who nodded encouragingly.

He looked down at the screen as a few seconds of static played, before a poor quality audio kicked in. There was birdsong whistling through the headphones and Yuuri was confused, because why would he want to listen to this? Then there was a voice. Sweet and deep, flowing through the speakers like honey, sticking in his ears like it had every other time. He closed his eyes and listened to the familiar words that swept over him. Birdsong transformed into violin, and the song was sickly sweet. Viktor's song played through tinny speakers, and it enamoured Yuuri in a way he never thought anything could.

Yuuri had heard the song a million times, when sleep ravaged his mind and when the wind sang in his ear. He heard it, but he had never had proof. There was never something solid in his hand, only silver in his heart and a name on his lips. His heart mourned as the song died in his ears. He opened his eyes and looked across the table at Phichit, who seemed to have his heart in his eyes. Yuuri slowly pulled the earphones out of his ears.

"That was his song," Yuuri said quietly, and Phichit beamed. "Viktor's song." It was at that moment that the wind raced into the café. It whipped playfully around Yuuri before the stealing the words from between them and flinging them about the room. It waltzed passed other guests, picking up and discarding napkins as it went. The wind finally deposited the words neatly in front of Phichit, leaving quickly afterwards. 

Yuuri spun around in his chair, searching the street that was bathed in darkness. A man stopped by the window, brown coat pulled firmly around him and hair tucked into a hat that was haphazardly placed atop his head. The man stood looking firmly towards the ground, wispy silver hair flitting across his face in the breeze. Viktor looked up briefly, finding Yuuri's face in an instant. Yuuri smiled at him, and Viktor returned it, if only for a second before walking briskly into the cold night.

When Yuuri turned around, Phichit was still staring at the table in wonder. A napkin had blown onto the table; it was utterly plain except for one detail. A single carnation flower bloomed silver in the middle of a sea of white. Petals that looked as if hours of work were poured into them rested innocently among seas of indescribable silver colour. Phichit's eyes flickered from the flower to Yuuri's face briefly. His mouth was hanging slightly open. Phichit swallowed before wordlessly moving his mouth for a few moments.

"Was that..." Phichit trailed off. He said like he thought if he spoke any louder the flower would sink into the napkin, lost forever. Yuuri wouldn't be surprised if it did.

"Yeah," he replied, the smile on his face leaking into his words. 

Yuuri stood up and picked up the napkin gingerly. He placed it in Phichit's hands with extreme delicacy. Phichit eyes seemed to be glued to the flower. He held it more carefully than Yuuri had seen a mother hold her newborn child. Phichit looked up at him, any emotions other than wonder lost in his dark eyes. Yuuri wrote his number onto another napkin before placing it onto the table with a quiet thank you. He walked out of the cafe, past windswept patrons and away from a dazzled Thai boy. 

Yuuri walked into the cold of a foreign city and wondered when his entire life started to orbit relentlessly around Viktor.

~

Phichit texted Yuuri the next day. They talked like friends would. The talking continued when Yuuri flew back to Japan. It persisted through days working at the onsen and days of loneliness. Phichit's words helped Yuuri push through Viktor-less winters and breezy springs. It took a few late night skype sessions, battling fatigue and time zones, but before they knew it, Yuuri and Phichit were friends. Bound together by an unseeable force, not unlike the way silver squeezed the breath from Yuuri's lungs. 

Yuuri learned that by having someone at his side, it made life that little bit more bearable. Phichit would text Yuuri every morning, just after he woke up. When the sun burned his eyes, the cold bit into him and the silence stung his ears. Dreams slipped into reality, desperately grasping onto Yuuri with everything they had, clawing at his skin with unrelenting force. A text tone would ring out, shatter the silence and dislodge unwanted claws from his back. Yuuri wasn't sure how Phichit knew to do it every morning, how it helped in the simplest way, but Yuuri was forever grateful.

~

Yuuri's phone pinged loudly and ripped him from the half-awake state he was in. He fumbled for his glasses, shoving them on his face before picking up his phone. He squinted at the bright screen, already knowing who it was from.

Phikachu: HAPPY BIRTHDAY YUURI!!!!!!!!!!

Yuuri smiled down at his phone before typing out a quick thank you. He was met with several rapid-fire messages from his friend.

Phikachu: NO NEED TO THANK ME  
Phikachu: THANK YOUR MOTHER FOR BIRTHING YOU  
Phikachu: ALSO WOW YOURE 23!!!!!!  
Yo!ri: im so old  
Phikachu: yeah you are, just look at my youthfulness radiating from the screen  
Yo!ri: yep its just flowing out of my phone  
Phikachu: since its your birthday maybe vik vik will show up hey  
Yo!ri: yeah maybe, although its been 5 years since i last saw him properly...  
Phikachu: i know what you need  
Phikachu: a good fuck  
Yo!ri: PHICHIT  
Phikachu: what its true  
Phikachu: at least like go out tonight, have some fun on your birthday  
Yo!ri: ....fine  
Phikachu: selfies or it didnt happen!!!

Yuuri smiled down at the screen before locking his phone and dragging himself out of bed. He moved mechanically, a process drilled into him from years of working at the onsen. His parents gave him the weekend off, even though he tried to convince them to let him work. In the end, they prevailed. 

He found himself walking along the beach. His body moved automatically, pathways engraved into muscle memory, allowing his mind to run free. As his mind tended to do, it slipped back into the dream that was still lingering past dawn.

Purple leaves rained from the sky, dancing in the wind with an icy cold gracefulness. Yuuri stood in a stream of piano notes, flowing over his feet and washing parts of his sodden shoes away as well. Cold swept through him like he was nothing, washing over his entire body until he was wracked with shivers. Apart from the piano and his teeth chattering slightly, it was utterly silent. There was no singing, no silver, only blue and purple. He felt a warm hand latch onto his wrist, it dug its nails into Yuuri's arm painfully, but Yuuri couldn't find it in himself to care. He looked down at his arm, but couldn't see any hands, only the rapidly reddening marks of fingers clasping onto his wrist. With an intense burst of piano, the hand was pulled off of Yuuri's arm, swept down the stream along with his shoes.

Gold flooded his vision, pouring in from every angle and momentarily blinding Yuuri. He quickly looked up to see a boy standing before him in the river. He was shorter than Yuuri, but he looked as if he wanted to murder him. Shoulder length blonde hair rippled around him, gold and gold and gold. A tiger prowled behind him, teeth bared and tail twitching menacingly. Yuuri had taken a step back in the dream, and the boy had opened his mouth as if he was going to speak before everything had crumbled away, piece by piece until he was left lying in his bed. Or in his case at the moment, staring out at the ocean. 

It was the first time that Yuuri had seen anyone other than Viktor in his dreams and it had confused him. Did it mean that another spirit had taken an interest in him? Or maybe it was just his brain trying to find a substitute for Viktor, seeing as though it had been so long since they had seen each other in real life. It made Yuuri's heart clench painfully, thinking that maybe Viktor had forgotten about him or had grown bored of his little human toy. He tried to snap himself out of it, forcing his brain to remember what Viktor had said when they last met. It did little to soothe his aching heart.

A brown poodle barking and running across the otherwise deserted beach broke him away from his thoughts. He started heading back to the onsen for lunch with the sun heavy in the winter sky and a too warm breeze brushing past him.

~ 

After being chided by Phichit for a good half an hour, Yuuri found himself standing outside a small club near the edge of town. It was only early in the night, but he could already hear music blasting from inside the building. Some drunk guy stumbled out of the door yelling something along the lines of "It's JJ style!". Yuuri swallowed thickly before hesitantly walking inside. 

Yuuri was immediately met with overwhelming noise and light. It was dark except for flashy neon lights and a small bar area that was reasonably well lit. Music consumed everything, a loud thumping beat that rang in Yuuri's ears. There was a mass of people dancing in the middle of the room, more a single solid object than a group. The smell of sweat and alcohol mingled in the air, creating a cocktail that Yuuri wanted nothing more than to get away from. He forced himself forwards though, this was his night and to hell with it if he wasn't going to have any fun.

The bar seemed like the least intimidating place, so that's where he headed. He sat on the stool that was furthest away from any people, knowing that there was no way he would be able to work up the nerve to talk to them. There was also a couple making out nearby, and Yuuri didn't want to be anywhere near that, especially when it looked like it was turning into more than just making out. He averted his eyes and waved over the bartender, ordering something with a significant amount of alcohol in it. If he wanted to deal with this, he needed to be a lot less sober. 

One drink turned into two, then two into three, three to four, and more and more until his heart beat in time with the music. His head was fuzzy, and the room swayed a little when he stood up, but his drunk mind reasoned that it was okay, maybe even good. Colours danced before his eyes as he spun around the room, looking for someone to latch onto. An arm found his waist and a smirk lit up his vision. A man was leading Yuuri towards a back room, and Yuuri panicked for a second because that isn't what he wanted at all. He must have voiced his thoughts because the man laughed and stopped walking, unwinding his hand from Yuuri's waist. He stepped back into Yuuri's full view. He had big round eyes, and some stubble littered his face. His hair was a yellow-blonde, with a dark brown undercut.

"It's ok little one, I wouldn't do something like that to someone so drunk. But if you were sober...." the man trailed off, making it hard for Yuuri to hear, and gestured for Yuuri to follow him. Yuuri complied, stumbling a little along the way.

They stopped in front of a small door off to the side, hidden away. If Yuuri hadn't been led to it, he probably wouldn't have even noticed it. The man banged on the door heavily, the noise just ringing out over the loud music.

"Get out here! I have someone you might want to see!" the man yelled, banging on the door even more.

A muffled reply that Yuuri couldn't understand came back through the closed door. The man slumped against the door, annoyance written on his face. 

"I hope you're decent for your sake," the man whispered against the door. He swiped two glasses out of someone's hand, downing one himself and handing the other to Yuuri. Yuuri squinted at the drink before hesitantly drinking it as well. With his brain in the state it was the whole situation was too weird to think about, so he just decided to go along with it. Everything got a little blurrier and before he could think about what was happening a lock clicked, and Yuuri was being thrown into the room and into something hard. 

Everything was spinning at a rapid speed, and Yuuri very much wanted to throw up. He could vaguely register yelling, and he was feeling very warm all of a sudden. Someone's hands were gripping his arms gently, and the hard thing was actually someone's chest. Yuuri thought his eyes were closed, but he couldn't quite tell because there was a lot more silver than usual. Someone was lifting his head up, and Yuuri suddenly saw a familiar face. It looked worried and also slightly excited.

"Yuuri, are you okay?" The pretty man asked him gently.

"You look like a puppy," Yuuri replied, hiccupping and clutching onto the familiar man's arms. 

Yuuri watched as red bloomed across the man's face. His silver hair was braided along the top of his head, long strands falling loosely around his face. Yuuri wanted to run his fingers through them. The man stared at him with eyes that were bluer than anything Yuuri had ever seen, searching his own face almost hungrily. Something in Yuuri's brain clicked, a loud defining snap that was louder than the buzzing in his body. 

"Viktor?" Yuuri asked slightly confused. 

"Yuuri," Viktor smiled down at him.

Yuuri fumbled for the phone in his pocket. He pulled it out and opened up the messages to Phichit. He grabbed the front of Viktor's shirt and pulled his face down next to Yuuri's. He snapped a picture and sent it without looking at it. He buried his face in the closest part of Viktor he could find. He heard Viktor spluttering before he felt hesitant hands wrap around his waist.

"Phichit wanted photos," Yuuri mumbled in Japanese into Viktor's neck before passing out.

~

Yuuri felt like he had been run over by a truck. Multiple times. Maybe also a bus.

He still had his eyes closed, and it was already way too bright. He rolled over, reaching for his glasses that were normally on the bedside table. Yuuri flailed his arm around before realising that the table wasn't there. He opened his eyes, hissing at the bright sunlight that invaded his vision. Yuuri figured that he had just passed out in a weird position on his bed since he couldn't remember anything that happened after the fourth drink. 

He looked around to find himself in somewhere that definitely wasn't his room, but didn't question it because his head pounding so much that it physically hurt. He found his glasses, phone and wallet resting on an unfamiliar bedside table that was about a foot lower than his own. Yuuri started to realise that this was very weird and also wondered where the hell could he even be. He decided his phone was his best course of action, thinking his family may have texted or he might have even told Phichit what he was up to. It wasn't like they hadn't drunk texted each other before.

Yuuri shoved his glasses on his face, rubbing his eyes as he picked up his phone. He was surprised to see multiple texts from Phichit, most in caps. He unlocked his phone cautiously, staring at the texts before starting to process them, mainly the word 'VIKTOR'. He scrolled a little way up to see that he had sent a picture. It was a selfie of him and someone else that was really blurry. It took Yuuri's hungover brain a moment to process who else was in the picture, but once he did, he could see the cause of Phichit's panic. 

Viktor's shocked and blushing face was staring back at Yuuri through his screen. Yuuri himself looked extremely drunk, with his top button undone, heavy blush and glasses sitting lopsidedly on his nose. Yuuri quickly sat up, taking in the unfamiliar room in a state of panic. He swung his head around the room, finally landing on a figure sleeping on the other side of the bed. A halo of silky hair peeked out of the top of the covers. Tendrils of silver spread across the bed, almost touching Yuuri who was planted firmly on the opposite side of the bed. Yuuri's mouth dropped open, and he stared at the figure who moved slightly in front of him.

"Viktor," Yuuri whispered, followed immediately by "Shit," then rapid typing.

~

Phikachu: yay you sent me selfies!  
Phikachu: wait who is that  
Phikachu: Yuuri?  
Phikachu: YUURI  
Phikachu: YUURI IS THAT VIKTOR  
Phikachu: IS THAT VIKTOR BECAUSE THAT IS HOW YOU DESCRIBED HIM  
Phikachu: DID YOU JUST FIND VIKTOR THE FUCKING SPIRIT  
Phikachu: YUURI PICK UP YOUR FUCKING PHONE  
Phikachu: YUURI HOW THE FUCK DID YOU GET VIKTO TO TAKE A FUCKINH SELFIE WITH YOU  
Phikachu: YUURI  
Phikachu: YUURI WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS WITH VIKTOR WHAT THE FUCK  
Phikachu: you know what  
Phikachu: you better have a good fucking explanation for this in the morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW THEY ARE REUNITED (finally)  
> This chapter is quite different to the first 2, I struggled with it. I just needed Your to get from *there* to *here*. Also sorry this update is a lot later than the last one was it's because of a devil called school. Also I have never been to a club or had a hangover I'm sorry if this is highly inaccurate.
> 
> [Here](https://iammyfavflower.tumblr.com) is my Tumblr if you want to ask any questions or just check it out
> 
> See you next chapter hopefully bye


	4. falling for your charms (landing in your arms)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait guys

Yo!ri: i have no idea where i am or what happened last night but viktor is asleep next to me heLP

~

Yuuri's could feel heat consuming his body, in particular, his face. He couldn't take his eyes off of Viktor, who was still sprawled out next to him. Yuuri wanted to look around the room, find out where he was or how he had managed to get in the situation he was in but his eyes were glued to the spirit. Viktor shuffled around in his sleep a little, moving closer to Yuuri, and tangling himself in his own fine hair. 

Without warning, Viktor swung an arm around Yuuri and drew him to Viktor's side. Yuuri startled at the movement but was too afraid and shocked to move. Viktor snaked another arm around Yuuri, pulling him almost on top of the spirit. 

Yuuri was overheating, and he knew it. His whole body was most likely a bright red. Burning like a sun that had lost control. Viktor, however, was cold.

He was so, so cold. 

Once Yuuri noticed it, he couldn't focus on anything else. Viktor's hands were ice cold, freezing themselves onto Yuuri's back. His chest was even worse. It was so cold it stung. It couldn't be healthy; someone shouldn't be that cold that people could glide across them as if they were a frozen lake. Viktor pulled Yuuri in tighter, and he didn't resist. Someone so bright shouldn't be this cold.

Yuuri tentatively wrapped an arm around Viktor's waist. Viktor made a little noise in his sleep that made Yuuri breathless. 

"Well aren't you two cute," said a soft voice, one that Yuuri vaguely recognised.

Yuuri snapped his head around and stared at the man that was leaning in the doorway. His arms were crossed, and a smug smile rested on his lips. Yuuri spluttered in response, remembering what position they were in, and what it implied.

The man laughed softly, before continuing, "It's okay Yuuri, I know you didn't do anything. It's Chris, by the way."

Yuuri nodded, still unsure of what was happening. Yuuri watched as Chris' gaze turned fond as soon as his eyes landed on the body that was pulling Yuuri close. Yuuri too turned to look at Viktor, who now had his mouth open. Hair was getting in it, and in any other circumstance that would have been disgusting, but Yuuri could only look on fondly as well. For a fleeting moment, something grabbed hold of him. It was cold and cruel, it pierced his heart with precision, making it bleed silver and gold. 'You're slipping Yuuri, you're slipping, and you'll land too hard and too fast' it whispered as it latched onto a thick silver strand, tugging on it, trying to pull it loose. 

"How is he doing?" Chris' voice brought Yuuri's attention back to the matter at hand. He pushed the words to the back of his mind.

Yuuri was at a loss for words, what was he supposed to say to that? "He's cold," Yuuri decided on, mainly because it was true. Viktor was lapping up Yuuri's heat greedily.

Deciding it was best to look at who he was speaking to, Yuuri tore his gaze away from Viktor to be met with Chris' worried expression. 

"How cold?" Chris asked tentatively.

"Freezing," Yuuri replied, confusion evident on his face.

Chris immediately sprang up from the doorway and hurried over to where Viktor lay on the bed. He ran into a table, cursed at it and dropped to the floor by the bed. His knees hit the wood with a clunk that startled Yuuri. 

"Chris, what's going on?" Yuuri asked, pushing himself up on an elbow. Viktor's arm's circled tighter, and his eyelids fluttered.

Yuuri was ignored as Chris reached one hand out to Viktor's forehead, carelessly brushing away strands of hair. His hand made contact for less than a second before he was pulling away and looking around the room frantically.

"Shit, shit, shit," Chris swore under his breath as he pushed the clutter off of shelves, sending things crashing to the ground. 

"Chris, what's going on?" Yuuri asked desperately, panic crawling into his voice. Then a memory from last night slithered out of the depths of his brain, and Yuuri's face paled.

There were warm arms on his shoulders as the music pounded in time with his heart. Hair tickled his face, and everything felt warm. Last night, Viktor was so warm, almost burning to the touch. Maybe it had been Yuuri's dulled senses, possibly his heightened ones, but Viktor had been warm. He was sure of that.

"Chris, what's wrong with him? What do I do?" His voice came out more panicky than he would have liked, but at that moment he found he didn't really care.

"Wake him up," came Chris' reply as a small succulent came crashing to the floor.

Yuuri tried to break out of Viktor's embrace but found he couldn't. Instead, he twisted his neck around to look at Viktor's face again. 

"Viktor, wake up," he tried to no avail. "Viktor. Viktor!" Yuuri tried again a little louder.

Crystal eyes remained glued shut, and panic squeezed his heart. Yuuri took hold of Viktor's shoulders and shook harshly. 

"C'mon wake up," Yuuri muttered to himself as Viktor scrunched up his face.

He stopped the shaking when he realised it was futile. Chris was still crashing around the room, throwing things harshly onto the floor and muttering to himself. 

"What am I doing here?" Yuuri asked himself, but maybe he was asking Viktor. He didn't really know. Yuuri moved to cup Viktor's cheek but found his hands wouldn't budge from the other's shoulders. 

"Is that... I found it!" Chris yelled as he scrambled to pick up something from the floor. Yuuri ignored him and lifted a hand up, before carefully bringing it down again. And again.

"Wake up!" Yuuri screamed except it came out more like a broken whisper. Viktor started suddenly, eyes flying open and arms coming away from Yuuri's body harshly.

Relief flooded through Yuuri as Chris scrambled to the bed with a small pouch in his hand. 

"Good you're awake," Chris said as he literally pulled Viktor out of bed, sending him crashing to the floor. "Who the fuck puts something important inside a stuffed dogs mouth?" Chris muttered as he pulled Viktor up and out of the room.

Yuuri scrambled off the bed, hastily pushed on his glasses, and rushed to follow them. His mouth hung open as he followed the pair down twisting hallways that eventually opened out onto a small garden. There was a pond that koi carp glided through. A vast forest towered above them and Yuuri was reminded of a dream from years long past. Except there were no golden trees or silver stags, only faded green leaves and hushed birdsong.

"You have to go home," Chris said as he emptied the pouch onto his hand. A handful of smooth stones and crystals tumbled out. He started working his way around the pond, delicately placing them an inch or so away from the water.

Viktor was standing by the edge of the pool, staring at the fish swimming lazy circles.

"I don't want to," Viktor said. His voice sounded so sad, like he had lost someone he was close to. It was weeping and grey, not bright and silver like it usually was.

"You have to. You're too cold," Chris replied, still focused on his task. It was at that time that Viktor shivered.

"See," Chris replied without even looking up.

"I'll be fine, it's not like it hasn't been worse–"

"Stop," Chris said harshly, standing and spinning around to face Viktor, and subsequently Yuuri. "You don't want to go and die on your little human do you?" 

Viktor froze then spun around so fast that the wind picked up and ruffled Yuuri's hair. Yuuri snapped his mouth shut and stared at Viktor, who looked like he had forgotten Yuuri was there. Maybe he had, Yuuri wouldn't be surprised.

In three large steps, Viktor had come to be standing before Yuuri. He wrapped his arms around the smaller man and swiftly pulled them chest to chest. Yuuri stood frozen before melting into the touch. Viktor was so cold it hurt, but Yuuri couldn't find it in himself to let go. 

He never wanted to let go.

"I'm sorry. All our meetings must be so sad, it might be nice to have fun for once," Viktor muttered against Yuuri's hair. It tickled.

All Yuuri could see was silver. All he could feel was Viktor.

"Next time," Yuuri murmured into Viktor's chest. 

Viktor's arms fell away, and he reluctantly stepped back. There was a sad sort of smile on his face. He turned away and walked towards Chris. 

"Is it ready?" Viktor asked in a low voice. Chris nodded, looking back at Yuuri with an unreadable expression. 

Viktor slowly stepped into the pool, and the fish eagerly came to meet him. The water went still as Viktor stepped in more, sinking at least a foot deeper. The stones around the pond started to glow brilliant colours. They reflected off the water, making trees around them silver, and the sun looked brighter in the sky. Viktor was bathed in a silver light as he took another step into the pond, now in the middle and already waist deep in glowing water. His hair had started to float above the water, and the two fish swam under it. Gold markings on their bodies began to glow as if they were illuminated from the inside. Viktor passed a hand over one of the fish, and he sank again, this time down to his shoulders. His hair had begun to float upwards, towards crystalline stars that glimmered in the sunlight. 

With a soft splash that echoed through leafy green trees, Viktor vanished into the water. Stones fell from the sky and splashed into the water, startling the fish. Chris collapsed heavily onto the grass. The wind that had been swirling around him ceased. 

Viktor was gone.

~

Chris had dragged himself up from the ground laboriously and ushered Yuuri inside, to a small sitting room where he served them both coffee. Chris was slumped heavily against the little wooden chair, cradling his drink and looking over at Yuuri with a sparkle in his eye. 

Yuuri looked around the room with mild interest. It was small and cluttered, but with an undertone of modern design. Sleek white walls were covered in crumpled maps and charts, candles lit the room. There was a small cactus with a pink bloom planted between them on the table.

"I can see why he likes you," Chris drawled, staring intently at Yuuri. "You're quite handsome, you're such a good dancer too." Chris grinned like a cat, eyes flicking to a pole that stood in the corner.

"If Viktor didn't have his paws all over you, I would have snatched you right up," Chris smirked before taking a gulp of coffee. He sighed wistfully as the implication hit Yuuri, and soon he was turning bright red.

His drink suddenly became possibly the most interesting thing in the room. He heard a chuckle and the scraping of a chair. There was the opening and closing of a drawer, and then something was being placed in front of him. Yuuri looked up and watched as Chris flopped back into his chair, tapping away at a phone. 

The object that had been placed in front of him was a small, round, berry-like tablet. Yuuri inspected it sceptically before looking over at Chris again.

"For the hangover."

"Oh, thank you," came Yuuri's meek reply as he took the tablet with a sip of coffee.

It was bitter and slightly tangy, but it helped almost instantly. The dull pounding of his skull subsided, and Yuuri found he could think a lot clearer. After everything that had happened, he had forgotten entirely that he had gone out, got completely drunk and somehow found the spirit that haunted his every waking, and sleeping hour. He had also neglected to inform anyone where he was.

Yuuri stood up suddenly, causing Chris to look up curiously. "Phone," he explained quickly before dashing back into the room where he had been sleeping.

It was utter chaos. The blankets were thrown haphazardly on the floor, along with the rest of the room's belongings. There was a smashed pot plant, and the curtains remained closed, bathing the area in thick shadows. Yuuri spotted his phone on the bedside table and quickly made to pick it up, before collapsing on the bed. He sent a quick text to his parents explaining that he had spent the night at a friend's, which wasn't entirely untrue. Viktor was his friend right? He disregarded the thought and opened up his messages with Phichit, where he found a single text with a lot of question marks. This would be a lot easier to explain over the phone.

Yuuri put the phone up to his ear as he waited for his friend to pick up. As soon as the dialling ended he was met with a crackly, comforting yell.

"Yuuri!" Phichit screamed into the phone, making Yuuri wince.

"Hi."

"First of all, what the fuck. Second of all, what. The. Fuck." 

"Just let me explain–" Yuuri started. However, Phichit was more determined to get his point across.

"You better explain. You sent me a single picture, with Viktor nonetheless, then disappeared for the entire night," Phichit took a breath, then continued speaking at a rapid speed. "Then, you send me a text in the morning saying that you have no idea what happened but slept next to a spirit. And then, you disappear again, leaving your poor best friend scared to death. How do you feel about that Yuuri? How do you feel?"

"Look I'm sorry Phichit, I just maybe, possibly gotblackoutdrunkanddontrememberlastnight. But, there is the fact that Viktor is one hundred percent real, and I know how he goes into the spirit world," 

"Wait a second, you know how he goes into the spirit world!" Phichit screamed, and this time Yuuri had to take the phone away from his ear. By the time Yuuri put the phone back up to his ear, there was a silent crackle coming across the line.

"Phichit?" 

"That means he left again doesn't it?" Phichit asked, and Yuuri could feel the sadness pouring through the line. He nodded, before realising Phichit couldn't see him. Yuuri cleared his throat before answering. 

"Yes," Yuuri whispered. 

A wave of sadness overcame Yuuri. Its waves were thick like syrup, silver and potent. They coated him with it, suffocated him until he was desperately gasping for air. Viktor was gone again. Red glass shattered in his chest and punctured his lungs. He remembered ice skating. Broken things. Applause. Touch. He remembered words spoken not long ago. He remembered next time.

"There might be someone who can help with that though," Yuuri grasped at the thoughts forming in his mind, trying desperately to convey them to his friend. "There's someone else here, he might be able to help."

"What?"

"I have to go, bye Phichit," Yuuri said, hanging up before Phichit could even say goodbye.

Chris was sprawled across a bright red couch when Yuuri ventured back. His legs dangled off the edge as he stared at a crumpled piece of canvas that he held above him. His bare feet made no noise on the wooden floor, so Yuuri wasn't particularly surprised when the older man jumped at the sound of a voice.

"What, happened before?" Yuuri tried again now that Chris' attention was on him. Green eyes stared up at him with interest.

"With Viktor?" 

Yuuri nodded, breaking eye contact. Chris sat up slowly and dropped the canvas onto his lap. He was still staring, Yuuri could feel it.

"He used too much energy, he had to go back."

"Is that why he was so cold?" 

Chris stood up slowly, his presence growing large in the small room. "Precisely," he said, but it was quiet, like if he spoke any louder, some sort of elaborate scheme would fall to pieces before their eyes.

Suddenly Yuuri was terrified. There was a man who knew the answers, who knew everything about everything, and there was Yuuri. Alone, with only the knowledge of how fast his heart was beating.

"How..." Yuuri began, and he could taste the words on his tongue, but they were lodged in his mouth, sealed between his lips. Chris' smile didn't quite reach his eyes, and his eyebrow tilted upwards, just a little. 

"You want to go there, little human?" There was amusement in his voice and a knowing glint in his eyes. 

Before Yuuri could think about it, the words had slipped out of his mouth. "Yes." 

Chris' eyebrows rose higher before he slipped closer to Yuuri, breath grazing across Yuuri's cheek.

"It may well hurt, you could die you know," he whispered, and it was honestly terrifying. There was every reason in the world Yuuri should back out, a million negatives in stark contrast to a few positives. 

Yuuri was not adventurous. He didn't take risks. He didn't leave his comfort zone. He wasn't a romantic. He did not chase dreams. Except one, lined with silver and well worth chasing. It was worth fighting for even.

Yuuri was not brave, but maybe Chris thought he was. Because his eyes widened, and maybe he didn't take Yuuri for one that would do this kind of thing. Yuuri didn't blame him, he didn't think he would do it either. But the things he didn't want to say had a habit of slipping out when it mattered.

"I want to go," Yuuri said, voice like stone, eyes watering possibly just a little. Another time, he would have regretted it and cursed his carelessness. This time though, he was ever so slightly thankful. 

~

The hush of the world seemed to suffocate him. The birds were silent, possibly anticipating his downfall. The wind was minimal, Yuuri wouldn't be surprised if it were because Viktor wasn't there. The only noise that permeated the thick silence was the shuffle of Chris' feet on the stones and the occasional splashes of koi carp. 

Now that there wasn't the seizing panic of the morning Yuuri could fully take everything in. There were little stone sculptures on the edge of the forest, and red lanterns hung from high up branches. The pool, which was only quite small, had smooth round stones scattered across the bottom. Many had strange markings all in magnificent colours. Silver drowned out the rest.

"Step in," Chris said as he stood up. The world seemed to still. Yuuri hesitantly stepped into the water, the coolness bit at his shins. 

He looked back at Chris uncertainly, who nodded at him before gesturing to move forwards. Yuuri stepped forwards again, and once more. The cold seeped into his body, spreading from his waist upwards. One of the fish nipped curiously at his finger.

"Good," he heard Chris say before there was an overwhelming numbness in his legs.

The stones started to glow in hushed tones around Yuuri. Chris was murmuring something off to the side. Silver clouded his vision, spread thick through his body. It intoxicated his blood, slowing almost to a complete stop. Yuuri's body seemed to disconnect from itself as crystalline stars appeared in a too bright sky. Distantly, he felt the brush of scales on his leg, on his arm, across his face, through his hair. The cold grew, strong and powerful. It washed over his body in thick, syrupy waves, lodging itself between his shirt and skin. 

The forest before him flickered. It was green, then silver. Green. Silver. Green. A collection of colours that were too much like silver and gold for Yuuri to bear. He was standing in dull wheat, it tickled his legs. A silver song danced in the wind. A golden tiger prowled along the forest's edge. Red lanterns were little houses, holding glowing lights. There were arms around his chest, pulling him close. Fingers carded through his hair, a voice whispered in his ear hushed thoughts and fragments of intoxicating song. A hand covered his mouth. Yuuri couldn't breathe.

Air wouldn't come, stolen away by the water that was sliding down his back. His entire body was numb. Light clouded his vision and burnt out his sight. Someone was yelling. Yuuri wanted to scream. Water clawed at his skin and tugged at his hair. The wind grabbed at his legs, tried desperately to latch onto his arm. 

He reached out, and Yuuri fell.

The world twirled and spun until the trees were spun with silver and gold. Yuuri landed heavy on his feet, knees giving way beneath him. Bright green moss smudged onto his pants. The air was richer than it previously was. It was thicker and filled with more life. 

The entire world was filled with more life, Yuuri decided when he looked up. It was just as it was in his first dreams. The forest was thick with curling golden tendrils and little glowing lights that flitted through the trees. He pushed off the ground cautiously, even though Yuuri had been here many times before, this wasn't his world. 

An orange glowing light flitted over to Yuuri's face. Once it was close, he could see that it wasn't a light, but actually a little firefly-like bug. Except its entire body glowed, and it had big, round eyes. It inspected him curiously for a second before flying off and hovering above the ground in front of him. Soon, a myriad of the little spirits were twirling around him before flying towards the ground, flashing brilliant colours. They formed a path, leading deeper into the forest. Having no better option, Yuuri followed the trail, watching the little creatures whizz ahead of him after he had passed. His feet sunk into the ground in some places, and in others, he passed through air that seemed to be extremely sticky. As he continued on, his steps came quicker and mind focused in on the flashing path. Someone was singing in the distance.

The part of the forest Yuuri was coming into was more silver, and held more spirits. A giant fish swam through the trees beside him, a dog with three tails and fur that looked like silver wool ran across the path ahead of him, disturbing the little light spirits. He thought he heard a sprite laugh from a branch above him. A golden fox with big brown eyes and crystals lining it's back, ran alongside him when Yuuri started to run. He was so close.

There was the swish of long silver hair in the clearing that opened up ahead of him, and it only took a second before Yuuri's feet were pounding hard against moss that glowed gold where his steps fell. Yuuri burst out into the clearing ahead of him, a familiar scene of ice that his brain refused to take in. It could only process Viktor. 

Viktor, who had spun around at pounding feet and canine howls. Viktor, whose mouth hung open and face positively glowed. Viktor, who was draped in silks and who dropped whatever it was he had been holding. Viktor, who was moving towards Yuuri. And Yuuri was still running.

They crashed into one another painfully, perfectly. Their arms found each other’s bodies immediately like it had been years since they had seen each other, like the piece of music their bodies had been making had finally reached a crescendo. Viktor pulled Yuuri close to his chest, and Yuuri grasped desperately at Viktor. Yuuri breathed Viktor in, cheek pressing into soft silk.

"How about a happy meeting this time?" Yuuri whispered. He was falling, falling, falling. 

Viktor pushed him back, just enough to see Yuuri's face. The world fell away when blue eyes met his and a small smile stretched across the spirit's face. 

Then the blue eyes were closing, and Viktor's face was coming closer to Yuuri's. There was breath against his nose, against his lips. Yuuri closed his eyes, leaning up, just a little. Soft lips met his. Colour exploded behind his eyelids, and noise rang in his ears. And there was only Yuuri, and Viktor, and Yuuri could feel it in everywhere they touched. In where lips met his own.

Yuuri was falling, but he had someone to catch him this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A viktuuri kiss for the one year anniversary!  
> Again sorry for the wait, unfortunately life and school are thing that I have to attend to. It will most likely be a while until the next chapter, my laptop is getting taken off of me (since it's the schools) so I will try to get something out from my another source if I can.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed :)

**Author's Note:**

> Congratulations if you made it through all that. Strap yourselves in lads this is gonna be a long ride.  
> You can find my Tumblr [here](https://iammyfavflower.tumblr.com) if you want  
> Ok bye now, see you next chapter hopefully


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